Children's House burglarized

CRIME WATCH

Baltimore & Region

Weekend burglars stole more than $4,000 worth of tools owned by volunteers who were helping to convert a Canton building into pediatric patient housing.

The burglary happened sometime between Saturday and early Monday at The Children's House at St. Casimir, in the 2700 block of O'Donnell St., Baltimore police said.

The Children's House is being renovated by the Believe in Tomorrow National Children's Foundation, a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization. When completed, the building is expected to have eight apartments that will be used to house children who travel with their families for bone marrow treatment to the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

Brian Morrison, the foundation's founder, said the burglary and theft set the renovation back several days. He was still hopeful the building will start accepting families between Christmas and New Year's. He said the crime was particularly painful for the volunteers who've donated their work because the tools were mostly their personal property.

"We are determined to move heaven and earth to get this building open in time for the holidays," Morrison said.